People procrastinate.
Even high achievers.
That’s what inspired my book Take the Stairs on the psychology of overcoming procrastination.
Fact is, most people don’t make decisions until they absolutely have to.
That’s why you need to give your customers deadlines.
And doing so is one of the best things you could give them.
Let me show you why.
People Don’t Decide Until They’re Forced To
We all know we should eat healthier or get in better shape, but often, it’s not until someone has a heart attack that change finally happens.
We know taxes are due on April 15th, but people wait until the last minute to file.
That’s just human nature.
Which means if you’re in sales, marketing, or any type of business that helps people make a positive change, you must create deadlines to help them decide.
Deadlines = Service
A lot of people feel uncomfortable about giving their customers a deadline because they think it’s manipulative.
But I believe the opposite.
Giving someone a deadline is service-centered.
Why?
Because without a deadline, most people won’t take action.
If they don’t take action, they don’t get results.
And if they don’t get results, they stay stuck.
So when you give them a deadline, you’re not pressuring them…you’re helping them.
You’re giving them a chance to make a decision, to commit, and to change something in their life.
What’s truly manipulative is guilt-tripping people into buying or making someone feel like they’re a failure if they say no.
Don’t do that.
Clarity Is a Gift
Even when someone decides not to buy from me, I still see that as a service.
Because now they have clarity.
They know this isn’t the right program or the right time, and that clarity frees them to pursue the next best thing for them.
Indecision is one of the biggest anchors holding people back from progress.
Helping someone move out of indecision, even if it’s to a “no,” is one of the most valuable things you can do.
So I never pressure people about which decision to make.
But I will always guide them to make a decision.
The Art of the Deadline: How We Do It
In our Revenue Engine training, we teach a simple system for creating a 24-hour decision window inside of an evergreen funnel.
It starts with a free training: a registration page followed by a value-packed video where you make your offer.
When someone watches that offer, it triggers a deadline email sequence.
They’ll get a series of friendly reminder emails:
- “You have 23 hours left to join.”
- “12 hours left.”
- “3 hours left.”
- “1 hour left.”
After the deadline passes, we send one last message that thanks them for considering the program, reminds them the offer has expired, and points them toward free resources like our podcast, blog, and social media.
We call this “leaving them on a high.”
We never want to guilt people or shame them for not buying.
Rather, we want to express gratitude and demonstrate integrity.
Serve First. Sell Second.
At the end of the day, the goal is to motivate, not manipulate.
Your role is to serve your audience, to lead them toward transformation, and to respect whatever decision they make.
When in doubt, remember that deadlines don’t hurt people.
Indecision does.
If you want to sell with integrity, my team at Brand Builders Group can teach you exactly how to build evergreen systems like this without ever feeling “salesy.”
Schedule a free brand call with us and we’ll show you our frameworks.
